Iraqi War Rescue Dog ‘Hero,’ Fallen Soldier Set for Movie (EXCLUSIVE)

Varient Pictures and State Street Pictures are teaming up to develop an untitled movie about fallen solider Justin Rollins and the dog he rescued from the rubble of the Iraqi War.

Bob Teitel and George Tillman, Jr. will produce for State Street with Gina Resnick and Kyle Heller producing for Varient. Mike Flavin and Brittney Murray — Rollins’ girlfriend — will also produce.

Mark Freiburger (“Dog Days of Summer,” “Jimmy”) will direct from a screenplay by Brian Hurwitz. Rollins died in 2007 in Iraq from injuries from a roadside bomb after he had fallen in love with Murray, his hometown sweetheart. Murray and Rollins’ parents made it their personal mission to save the life of Hero, the rescued dog.

Hero and her story have been featured on “Good Morning America,” “World News with Diane Sawyer,” “20/20″ and Animal Planet’s “Saved.”

State Street produced “Barbershop,” “Notorious,” “Faster” and “The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete.”

Freiburger is repped by Peter McHugh and Matt Shichtman at the Gotham Group along with Joel VanderKloot at Nelson Davis Wetzstein. Hurwitz is repped by Chris Fenton and Brian McCurley at DMG Entertainment.